The Art of Seduction
by KricketWilliams
Summary: In order to capture the attention of a most wanted person, Penelope gets some needed schooling from her best friend. As usual, I don't own a thing.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_AN: Hi Everyone! I'm back with a breezy romance before the next epic (About ten chapters; that's light and breezy for me). Hope you all enjoy..._

He had to give it to the other man; he was handsome. In fact, there was no other man in the entire tech sector more handsome than Gavin Richards. Tall, blond, sophisticated—he was ideal in every sense of the word. Kind of reminded him a little bit of Malibu Ken, except with a ponytail. All the women he knew liked this man. Even Prentiss had mentioned how gorgeous he was and she usually had good taste in men.

As for his best friend, Penelope had spent many hours drooling after this paragon of manhood; she'd even told him that she'd had a dream of him riding up in shining armor, removing his helmet, and then shaking his head.

"With his long, blond locks flowing behind him," Penelope had gushed.

Derek thought the man was a douche.

Really, Gavin wasn't all that he was cracked up to be. He bit his fingernails, sucked at the racquetball court, and had to stop and catch his breath on the five mile run when he was at the track. To top it off, Derek had kicked his ass numerous times in friendly hand to hand combat. All new FBI employees could sign up for lessons; Gavin had picked Derek's class...

Albeit, to give the guy some credit, he had seemed rather nice.

"What is it about that guy?" Derek asked, eating a bite of salad. "I haven't seen you drool over a guy like this since—"

"Since you?" she teased, taking a bite of her own salad.

He laughed and pointed his fork at her. "Touche."

"Besides the fact that he is Prince Charming come to life, the pinocle of what every little girl wants, the man Brad freaking Pitt wants to emulate?" she added with as much drama as she could.

Derek rolled his eyes.

She ignored him and continued, "He is also the sweetest, kindest, funniest man out there. He takes time for me, treats me like I am the best person in the world."

"You are," he said honestly.

She rolled her eyes and slapped his arm. "Of course you'd say that."

"I didn't lie, now did I?" he teased as usual.

She looked up at him, her heart in her eyes. "Hot Stuff...I think he's the one."

Derek frowned. "What?"

"I...I have never really felt like this before," she said, and then laughed. "Well, I thought I did with you, but that's different; I was obviously mistaken. Besides, you have Deanna."

He'd been dating Deanna Blakely for three months now. It was going okay. She was really nice, and he planned on bringing her home to Chicago over the next vacation. But this...this gave him pause. He hadn't had a clue Pen had felt like that about him. He'd known she loved him, but as a friend. He'd had quite the killer crush on her for awhile, too.

Still did, if he was being honest with himself.

"What about Lynch?" he asked.

"We're history now," she said quickly.

His brow furrowed in concern. "You okay?"

She nodded. "We never really were much of a match, D. You know that."

"Yeah," he answered. Those two had made a terrible couple. No matter how he'd tried, he could never picture Penelope and Kevin together. They were incompatible: like sauerkraut and peanut butter. "Good riddance. On to bigger and better things."

"Well, I would..."

He watched as her cheeks colored, and knew she'd hit a road block. "I sense a but..."

"But Kevin dumped me, not the other way around." She looked down at the ground before continuing, "He said I would make a better friend."

"After four years of _hot_ romance?" Derek asked incredulously.

"Not so hot." She shrugged sadly. "And while I like Gavin, he only sees me as a friend."

"Really," he answered flatly.

She nodded, and he could see her bottom lip go out. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Morgan. I want him. I tease and flirt, but he thinks that's all it is. I..I..." She shook her head and looked away. "Never mind."

Derek felt his heart constrict in his chest, thinking he knew what she was going to say. She was a gorgeous woman who could have any man she wanted, if she put her mind to it. This really bothered him.

He reached his arms out and pulled her close. "What, baby? You can tell me, you know that, right?"

She looked up at him with the biggest, saddest, most beautiful brown eyes he'd ever seen, and said, "I don't know how to make him see that this isn't a tease. I don't know how to seduce him—and I want to—but all he will ever see me as is a buddy."

Deep down, Derek cringed. He'd had that same problem with her shortly after he'd met her. Not that he hadn't been attracted; he had been, and he still was. But her vibrant personality, teasing demeanor, and self-depreciating, yet flirtatious, manner led him to not take her seriously. Now he wondered if she was doing the same thing with this Gavin...and if she had felt the same things for him at one time, too.

That was silly. They were not a pair—definitely not. After six years—almost seven—they would've gotten together by now if they were meant to. _He _would've known.

"Well," he began. "What have you been doing with him?"

"Working on the computers, laughing, having a good time." She shrugged and smiled. "The usual stuff."

"What kind of _stuff_ are you saying, honey?" he asked cautiously.

"I don't know... kind of like the stuff I do with you," she answered, looking thoughtful. "I mean, I say things like, 'Hey, good looking' and all that." She shrugged again. "You know."

He had a slight pang in his chest, one that he immediately ignored, when she mentioned she did the same stuff with Gavin that she'd done with him. For some reason, he didn't like to think of her flirting away with some other man...or, heaven forbid, some other man being her _Hot Stuff_.

He actually shuddered at that thought.

Always perceptive, Penelope must've noticed the shudder. "D, you all right?" she asked.

"Fine, sweets."

"I just wish I had the ability to really seduce a man," she said with a sigh. She looked at him and huffed.

He patted her arm. "You do..."

"No, not like you," she said with a laugh. "I mean, you have all the skills. You tease and flirt, and you know exactly how to go and get women to look at you and immediately want to fall into bed."

His eyebrows shot up. "Were you included in that?"

She gave him a look of exasperation. "Hells, yes, silly man! _Every_ woman wants to fall into your bed."

He laughed. "I never really thought that you..."

His voice trailed off when he looked at her, looked at the hurt look on her face.

"I know," she said. "That's my fault."

"No, baby—"

"Because you only saw me as a friend, too." Her bleak expression broke his heart.

He backpedaled as fast as he could. "P, that ain't—"

"Oh, come on, Derek!" she interrupted. "You've never lied to me before; don't start now." Her eyes welled up, and she looked away from him. "I've told you before; I'm not the kind of girl that men see across smoky bars and write songs about."

"Baby Girl, I'm not lying," he said, trying to soothe some of the pain she was feeling. "Honey, you are a beautiful, desirable, confident woman—"

She snorted, but he ignored her.

"—who doesn't see that in herself when it really counts. Believe me when I tell you: There were lots of reasons I didn't see you that way, but it had _nothing_ to do with your looks."

He watched her, watched as he saw her reach for her napkin and dabbed her eyes, watched as the sadness crossed her face again, watched as she struggled to smile. It was breaking his heart; he couldn't make this better, and he wanted to, desperately.

"Then what is it, Derek?" she asked, her nose a little red from tears. "If it isn't my looks."

"P, you got it going on."

She scoffed and blew her nose. "Sure."

He reached across the table and held her hand. "Woman, I _still_ think you are very hot."

She groaned. "D—"

"But you are right; you don't know how to seduce a man with less than a tease," he said. The next part that came out shocked him more than it probably shocked her. "And I'm going to show you how to do it right—by having you practice on me."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_AN: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! This story is a long, slow tease; I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Now, here comes the next chapter..._

"You have to be kidding, right?" she asked disbelievingly. When she first heard what he'd said, that she didn't know how to seduce a man and he was going to let her practice on him, she had to fight not touching her mouth to see if her jaw had hit the floor. It felt like it had.

"I'm very serious, P."

"Really?" she squeaked.

"Deadly," he answered, his dark eyes peering into her. "You need help; I'm going to help you."

She felt light headed. This couldn't be happening. This was _nuts_. There was no way, no how she could do this. He really was joking. He had to be.

She snorted and queried sarcastically, "Oh, yeah? So you're sort of my tutor in seduction now?"

His inscrutable expression didn't change. "That is exactly what I am...or what I hope to be, more or less."

A little voice in her head said, _Go for it! He's your best friend, he has your best interests at __heart, and__ he'll help you...and you get to practice flirting with someone that fine...mmm hmmm...Is __there __really__ a__ decision involved here?_

Another voice said, _Are you as crazy as he is? It's __DEREK, for__ Pete's sake! You cannot do that with Derek!_

She listened to the second one, which appeared to have better judgment.

"Derek, really, I'm fine."

He grinned at her. "Sure you are..."

Frowning, she bristled and said, "I don't need—"

"Do you want this man?" he interrupted quickly.

She stared back at him.

"Do you want him to see you as something more than his pal?"

He threw her off by asking that. He'd said it so softly, sweetly, without condemnation. He said it just like her friend, which really made her feel uncomfortable. If he had been teasing...

She looked over at him. "Well, yes, I—"

"Then what do you have to lose?" He held her hand across the table, looking clearly and plainly at her. "Baby, I want to help you. You either let your misplaced sense of pride tell you to push me away, or you listen to what I got to say and see if I can help."

"How do _you_ know how to seduce a man, Derek?" she countered, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. "You seduce women—many of them—not men. There's a big difference"

He gave a snort of laughter. "Easy, sweetheart." He leaned closer and tapped her nose with his long finger. "I am a man. I know what works to turn me on and what doesn't."

"You're not Gavin," she shot back.

"Like that makes a shit of difference," he snapped. "Men...we're not that different. Trust me."

She watched him. What he'd said made sense. It just felt so weird to her. She was so confused. "Derek, I..."

"What?"

She took a deep breath. He wanted to help her. He obviously wanted to help her. If Emily had offered, if JJ had offered, she'd take them up on it. He was her friend, too, her best friend, and he wanted to help her. She needed to take him up on his idea, let him help.

Besides, maybe he had a point? He _was_ a man—a very virile, potent man. He knew more about that stuff, what guys really wanted, far more than she, Em, or Jayje could ever determine in their heads. In fact, in the past, when JJ had problems with Will, Penelope would run them by Derek, and he'd come up with solutions they hadn't thought of.

She looked up at him, set her chin, and said, "Okay, sweet cheeks. What's your idea?"

Derek knew the second she changed her mind. The determination, the grit he so admired in her, came to the surface. He smiled, his heart warming fiercely. He wanted this, he wanted to help her so badly win this douchebag Gavin, because it was what she wanted. He wanted her happy more than anything.

"Let's start with what you usually do," he said, moving his plate aside. "Let's pretend I'm Gavin, typing away at my computer."

"Now?" she squeaked, giving him a sidelong glance.

"Yeah, now. I'm tap tapping, and my ponytail has been neatly brushed." He added the last part rather sarcastically. The man's flowing blond locks bugged Derek, for some reason.

She giggled. "You're bald. How am I supposed to imagine that?"

He frowned deeply. "I am not bald! I wear it this way, but I have hair. Hell, I've had cornrows, dreadlocks, all sorts of that long shit. I don't like it."

"Really?" she asked, cocking her head at him, like she was imagining it. "I've never seen you with more than just a little hair."

"Well, I did," he answered, the huff gone from his voice. She was so intrigued by it, Derek seriously considered growing back that miserable hair. He liked what he had; it was so easy to care for. He'd never thought she didn't like his hair.

"So, you're Gavin—"

"You think I should grow my hair back?"

"Oh, no," she replied. "You look great the way you are."

His heart warmed; he felt so much better knowing she liked his look. He felt kind of foolish immediately after. It shouldn't really matter what she thought; he shouldn't hold store on what she was thinking, but he did. He was ready to be freaking Samson if she'd told him the opposite! He grumbled to himself for his idiocy, and then smiled a little bit sourly, determined to get back to the task at hand.

"Okay...I'm Gavin." He changed his voice to a Gavin's tenor, giving her a false, huge grin. "Hi, Penelope. I'm Gavin. I'm blond. How are you?"

She threw her head back and laughed. She was in such a peal of laughter, the people around them at other tables were smiling and giggling, too. It was common place; P's laugh was infectious. He was grinning, too.

"Oh...oh, ho...Hot Stuff! Haha...that was awful," she said. "How am I supposed to seduce _that_?"

"All right, angel," he said, still grinning. "I promise to behave. I was just joking around, but I'll be better tonight."

She stopped laughing and wiped the tears from her eyes. "What did you say? Tonight?"

"Yeah, tonight," he answered. "We can go through the first thing—"

"Tackle the first obstacle," she corrected.

He ignored her. "—which is to get him to ask you out. He already notices you. He just has to notice you more, and in the right ways."

"Harrumph," she grumbled. "What _right ways_?"

"You'll see. Guaranteed ways to make a man notice you," he said. He sure knew what made him notice an attractive woman.

Smiling slowly at him, she unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt, exposing a great deal of cleavage. She leaned forward, batting her eyes, nearly spilling those gorgeous breasts out onto the table in front of him. "Is this a _right way_, Hot Stuff?"

He had to peel his eyes away from her cleavage enough to smile back at her. He tried to make his expression unreadable and flat. "That's a start."

She sighed, buttoning her shirt up again. "This is going to be hard."

"No, it won't," he answered. It should be rather easy; the only _hard _thing was currently in his pants!

The waitress came to the table, and he put his credit card in the holder.

"Are you sure?" she asked skeptically.

"Trust me, Baby Girl. We will get him to that first stage before you know it." He signed his receipt with a flourish when the waitress returned, and then looked up at Penelope. "You ready?"

She nodded.

They left the restaurant, with both of them unsure of what they were getting into—for completely different reasons.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_AN: Thanks for the reviews and all the alerts and favorites. You sure know how to make me smile...and type!..._

Penelope arrived at Derek's house exactly at seven. She was the kind of person who liked to be prompt, although in this case, she was nervous and had dawdled a bit. It wasn't every day a person practiced seduction on their best friend, after all.

He had a fire roaring in the fireplace in the large family room of his ranch style home. His place could seriously be on the Parade of Homes tour. Vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, skylights, a wood burning fireplace, dark Oriental rugs—the home was as gorgeous and tempting as the man himself was.

"Let me get your coat," he purred from behind her with his rich tone, helping her slide off her pink puffer jacket. "Want coffee?"

"That would be great," she replied, as he hung up her jacket in the entry closet.

Derek always purred when he spoke. He wasn't doing anything that he didn't normally do. She knew he couldn't help it; the man simply had an amazingly sexy voice. It made everything he said sound exceedingly appealing. He could ask her if she wanted split ends and dark roots, and she'd probably find herself wondering if she was missing something if she said no.

"Okay," he replied, and then gestured towards the couch in the other room. "Make yourself comfortable; I'll be back in two."

She nodded, heading towards the warm fire. Her feet were cold; she stood before the fire to warm them, before sitting on the cool leather of the sofa.

A moment later, Derek arrived from around the corner, holding a mug for her.

"Here you go," he said, handing her the mug, putting his own down and taking a seat next to her.

They were both abnormally and unnaturally quiet, so hushed the sound of a log popping in the fireplace made Penelope jump. She glanced over at Derek, who returned her smile softly.

"Nervous, sweetheart?" he murmured, looping his arm around her.

"I'm not," she answered, her voice squeaking a little, which caused her to chuckle. "Yeah, a little."

"No reason to be nervous around me."

"I'm not nervous around _you_, per se," she backpedaled. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. "I'm nervous about what's next. This...seems stupid."

"Nuh-uh," he argued. "This is going to work, and then you'll think it's brilliant."

She scoffed.

He took her chin in his hand and made her look at him. "I need you to trust your man, Baby Girl. Can you do that?"

She swallowed and nodded, hypnotized by the dark, reassuring look in his melted chocolate eyes.

"Okay." He smiled softly and lowered his hand. "I thought a lot about what we spoke of at lunch, and I have an idea on how to proceed."

"How?" she asked, curious.

"First, you need to know this _is_ going to work, so that you'll follow some of my advice and believe in my tutelage."

"Yes, Professor," she teased.

"Call me Dr. Love," he replied with a wink. He then smiled softly back at her. "As I was saying, here's how we'll proceed….I'm going to show you how it's done on my behalf. I'm going to seduce you."

Penelope's heart began to beat double time in her chest, and she felt her eyes widen, but she didn't reply.

"And then, when it's all said and done, you're going to seduce me back."

She was immediately skeptical. She'd tried for years to seduce Derek Morgan. That wasn't possible for her.

"When are you going to start?" she asked.

His only answer was a very slow, very sensual grin.

He was sitting close, so close she could smell the richness of sandalwood and spice in his cologne and the coffee he'd drunk on his breath. She was sitting back on the couch like she always did, and his arm was around her, the warmth of his side, his arm draped over her shoulder, radiating throughout her body.

At that moment, she realized he was tracing circles on her shoulders with his palm, softly, gently, barely perceptible, his fingers trailing lightly towards her collarbone, where he brushed near the hint of exposed skin above her collar. She turned to look at that hand, and so wished that it would move up but a fraction more. She suddenly really wanted him to touch her bare skin, just to see if those fingertips were as rough as they sounded, rasping against the silky fabric of her shirt.

She turned her face to look at him and was startled by his eyes, the dark smoldering look in those onyx orbs. There was unmistakable heat, but more than that, there was solid attention, like she was the only woman left in the world—or the only one that mattered, at least. She shuddered with the intensity.

"Are you comfortable, sweetheart?" he murmured with that rumbling purr, like a cat being stroked just the right way. "I can turn up the heat, if you need me to."

Those words, the last sentence, woke her out of the spell he was conjuring around her. Oh, she had no doubt he could turn up the heat! She was nearly melting now, and he'd barely touched her. He hadn't done more than toy with her shirt and shoulder, and yet, she knew if she looked down, her nipples would be standing erect. She was mortified at how quickly he was able to do that, to get her turned on and so tuned into him, she didn't even notice what was happening around her.

She sat up straight. "You began already, huh?"

He smiled again in answer—this one a cute, sheepish half grin.

She crossed her arms over her chest protectively to hide her nipples and in a self-defensive gesture. "You could've warned me!"

"Come on, sugar," he said, tugging her stiff frame. "Don't be like that. Besides, you don't want to warn Garrett—"

"Gavin."

"_Whatever his name_ of your moves, either." He smiled and reached for her hand, kissing it. "It's gotta be subtle, unexpected. Give him some mystery. Make him say, 'That's the girl I got to get to know.'"

She bit her tongue. Yeah, right. Like air headed Deanna with her perfect body and flexible joints had a lot of _mystery_ involved with her.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "You look like you just swallowed something funny."

"Nothing," she said. "Okay. I'll try you, now."

"No, no, no," he answered quickly. "Mystery. Don't tell me. Just do it."

She huffed. "Derek. You know I am planning on doing this; how can it be a mystery?"

"It will. Trust yourself," he replied sagely.

They sat and watched the fire, and for a moment, just talked like old friends. Penelope decided to try something, so she cocked her head in what she hoped was a sexy fashion and licked her lips slowly. A few minutes later, she lowered her eyelids, giving her impression of bedroom eyes, and leaned into his side.

"Too obvious, baby," he said, looking seriously sympathetic.

"Arggh!" she said, sitting up and crossing her arms over her chest. "This is _not_ going to work!"

"Yes, P, it is," he reassured. "Try just one, and do it when I am not expecting it. Do it so it is a hint of what I can have, not the whole damned meal."

She scowled and huffed, irritated with him. This wasn't easy, even though he made it look like it was. His sad little look he had right now pissed her off, though, and put fire in her belly.

Now she was determined.

* * *

><p>Derek had dinner for himself and Penelope all set. He sat next to her, enjoying the meal. His cell had buzzed quietly in his pocket. He knew Deanna wanted to know when Penelope was leaving, because she was hoping to come over, but he was having a really great time with P.<p>

Once the seducing nonsense was over, Penelope was back to being her old self with him—funny, witty, charming, and adorable. He found himself hanging on her every word, laughing at her jokes. It was always like that whenever he was around her—a very good time.

After dinner, they were back in front of the fire. She was talking about some new program she was co-writing. He watched her closely, how bubbly and excited she was about it. Her eyes sparkled with lively interest, and her hands were animated. Along with that, the light from the fire caused her alabaster skin to glow with warmth. She looked so soft, so touchable, like satin and velvet.

She looked at him, with a light giggle that melted into a gentle smile. Her eyes locked with his; a moment later, the tip of her sweet pink tongue touched her dewy, red lips...

Derek felt it hit him right in the groin. He went from zero to sixty in that short period of time, and he had to try to coax down the evidence immediately. Jesus H. Christ, that was effective! He wanted to haul her in his arms and taste those lips, but then he remembered her purpose. This wasn't for him. This was for another man.

And that bothered him more than he'd thought possible.

"That was perfect. You did it," he said, his voice somewhat hoarse. He adjusted the way he was sitting to hide the physical proof of what happened to him.

"I did?" she asked, and then her eyes widened with delight. "I did! I did!" She clapped excitedly, and then hugged him. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome."

She was grinning gleefully. "I didn't have to do much of anything, did I?"

He shook his head. "Just be yourself. Your natural siren will take over."

She cocked her head to the right and gave him a teasing beam. "Natural siren, huh? I'm going to try this tomorrow on Gavin."

"Good."

Still obviously thrilled, she looked at her watch. "Mercy! It's ten. D, I gotta go. Mwah!" she said, kissing his cheek before standing up.

"I'll get your coat," he muttered, finally able to rise to his feet. His dick had calmed down enough to be non-noticeable now.

After helping her into her coat, she hugged him, and then stepped out the front door. "Thank you, Morgan. I really, really appreciate it."

"I know. Good night."

Derek watched her run to her car...and hit his gym downstairs to work off some seriously unreasonable frustration.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_AN: Thanks for the reviews! I am so sorry I am posting late; I spent most of the day off the computer because I had the day off. This is unbetaed, so bear with the mistakes, please!.._

Penelope was sweating bullets, looking at the back of Gavin as he typed on the program they were working on. He was waiting for her to enter her part, and she was waiting to try and seduce him. She'd never been this nervous before. Her stomach was churning; she just knew she had bad breath from nerves. Thank goodness she was wearing deodorant that worked with her nerves: she could smell the light scent of lilacs.

She couldn't do this. She could be sexy with Derek; that came naturally to her. She was so comfortable around Derek, flirting with him for the past six years. Plus, las night had been just a joke to him anyway, nothing to be nervous about. This…this was the first really good looking guy she was interested in since Colby Baylor aka Jason Clark Battle.

And look how good _that_ had turned out!

"Garcia!" Gavin said, turning in his task chair to see her. He gave her his disarming smile before rising to his feet. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Oops, sorry," she said, and then mentally kicked herself. She didn't need to apologize…sheese.

"Um, that's okay," he said, looking a little confused. He held up a cup of coffee to her shyly. "I took the liberty of buying you a coffee when I got one for myself."

"Thanks," she said, taking a seat next to him. She took a sip of the delicious brew, and then smiled. "Ready to rock and roll?"

He returned her grin, sat back down, and then turned and began to type.

They worked side by side, formulating and strategizing. Every once in a while, Penelope would notice Gavin giving her a sidelong look. He'd done that to her before; it was that look that had her believing in the first place he was somewhat interested in her.

Before she knew it, it was almost time for them to finish for the day. She had to make a move, now or never.

Empowering everything she'd learned from Derek, she caught his glance with her eyes, touched her lips with the barest hint of her tongue, and then lowered her lids slightly.

His eyebrows shot up just a little bit in surprise, before he turned completely to work on the program again.

Penelope sighed in acute disappointment. To hell with Morgan, she was done. Obviously, this didn't wor-

"Garcia, would you be interested in going out to dinner with me sometime?" Gavin asked, turning to look at her.

Her mouth fell open in shock. "Me?"

His blue eyes sparkled with amusement. "There's no other Garcia's in the room, is there?"

She was going to have her own footprints all over herself from kicking herself when she checked the mirror tonight. "Umm…sure!"

"When are you avail-"

"Tonight?" she replied quickly, and then blushed in excitment. "Too early? Ummm, ahhh.."

"Oh, no, no," he reassured. He smiled at her, his dimples prominent. "How about we meet at the Anchorage after work on Friday? Around sixish?"

"Okay," she said. This would be good. Tonight was Wednesday, she could meet with Derek and do some preplotting.

It seemed she needed it!

She stood and headed to the door, turned and smiled back. "See you then."

"Goodnight, Garcia."

* * *

><p>Once she returned to her office, she picked up the phone and immediately called Derek, who was out on a case.<p>

"Yeah, Baby Girl," she heard him say over the phone.

"It worked! D, he asked me out! It worked," she said, giddy and thrilled.

It took him awhile to answer her. "Ah…it did, huh? Congrats."

"We're going out Friday night," she rattled on, so excited she could barely think. "I asked for tonight, but he suggested Friday, so I-"

"Wait a minute there," Derek interrupted. "You _asked_ for tonight?"

She paused. "Yeah. I mean, what's wrong with that?"

He tsked his tongue. "Penelope, Penelope, Penelope."

She tsked back. "Derek, Derek, Derek!"

He chuckled. "Baby, you need to let him be the pursuer, not the other way around. Halt that overeager bullshit and make him come to you. Men like the hunt, not to be hunted."

"Now I'm confused," she answered. "I showed him that I liked him-"

"Subtly," he added.

She was glad he wasn't there. She would've hit him with her hot pink swingline stapler. "I show him I am willing and interested, and that is _wrong_?"

"Hell, yes, it's wrong," he growled, sounding somewhat disgusted. "Even Reid knows that."

"Hey!" she heard Reid protest in the background.

"Put him on," Penelope said. "I want to hear his take on this."

Derek must've hit speaker phone, because suddenly Reid was talking. "Actually, Garcia, I hate to admit...Morgan has a point. It's basic survival. Males of a species compete for an eligible female, showing their feathers to the one that seems to be the most pursued. Take the long-feathered Eastern green throated swallow-"

"Ah, let's not and say we did," Derek said, obviously clicking off speaker phone. "Fact is, momma. You make yourself too eager, he'll start thinking you're desperate."

"I am kind of desperate!" she said with a huff.

"No, you're not," he said calmly. "You're beautiful. You're funny. You're intelligent. You have an extremely foxy best friend, but you're sure as hell not desperate."

She smiled. She wouldn't hit him with the stapler just yet. "I get it. I just…don't want to miss out."

"You won't, sugar. You're worth the wait."

"Thanks, D," she said, her heart warming.

"You're welcome. Call me after the date and tell me how it goes."

"Alright," she said. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_AN: Thank you so much for the reviews! Here we go..._

At the small cafe nearest the BAU, Derek was picking at his hamburger. He wasn't usually the kind of person to sulk and pick at his food, but he was finding that he could do that just as well as the next guy. It was the third week of Penelope's budding romance with Gavin _Shmavin_, the wonderboy. He looked over his burger at his best friend, who was smiling and talking about Gavin with absolute delight in her voice.

He understood her interest. It was _Gavin did this_ and _Gavin said that_ the first week, asking his opinion on what to do next. He was glad to help out. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to have a good relationship with this new guy, but this was getting ridiculous. Hell, he'd always been uber-supportive of her relationship with Lynch…

Derek cringed. He'd just lied to himself, which was not the most comfortable feeling in the world, either.

"Hot Stuff, you okay?" she asked with concern, her pretty lips drawn up in a pretty pout.

"Fine, angel," he said, picking a perfectly fine piece of meat off his bacon cheddar burger. "That piece must've had something on it."

She frowned. "D, are you getting sick? You're barely eating right now, and I noticed your pants are looking really loose."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You saying I'm too skinny?"

"No!" she said, quickly backpedaling. "Honey, you know I would never say anything to hurt you. I love you."

"Sorry, baby. Just not feeling the best," he said, trying not to grumble. He took a fry and tossed it into his mouth. She thought he was too damned skinny? Hell with that. He still had a good sixty pounds of solid muscle on Reid. She should know not everyone could have a big bubble ass like Gavin.

He smiled to himself rather nastily. That dude could stand to lose about twenty. Gavin was about two inches taller than Derek, but he could still take the other man in a fight.

Derek blanched inwardly, listening to himself talk. If he didn't know better, if he didn't know himself and his relationship with Penelope so well, he'd say…he'd say…

Fuck.

There was no pussyfooting around it. He was jealous. He was used to Lynch being a non-entity. He was used to having most of Penelope's attention, and he didn't like having to share it. He needed to suck it up and knock it off. His best friend needed him, needed his friendship and support. He had to give it to her. It was an unwritten code.

Besides, he had Deanna. She was sweet, dynamic in bed, and very nice. She didn't have Garcia's biting wit or talent to bring him out of his doldrums, but she was a very nice, very beautiful woman. She didn't have Penelope's awesome curves, but she was a really good, really nice person.

She was really nice...but she wasn't Penelope.

He looked over at the object of his thoughts, at the hurt and concerned look on her face, and felt like a grade A, world class heel. She didn't deserve his irritation, because he didn't know how to separate fact from fantasy. What the hell was the matter with him, anyway?

His stomach lurched again, and he felt nauseous yet again. Derek put down his burger. "P, baby, I need to go."

"Oh, sugar," she said, reaching for his hand. She must've noticed the green shift in his complexion. "There _is_ something wrong. I'm so sorry. I know I haven't been much of a friend lately. I've been so wrapped up in my romance, I never even asked you how you are. Anything I can do to make this better?"

_Yeah, _he thought. _Dump Gavin. Save all your Garcia sweet love for me. Make me whole again, but let me have my freedom, too, because I am confused as __hell, and__ I don't know what to do about it._

"Not a thing," he said. He cupped the side of her face, stroking her cheek, her chin. "Must've been something I ate. I'll be fine, baby. See you tomorrow."

"Okay," she said, not looking one iota convinced. He needed to change that, and pronto.

"Hey, how about you come over tomorrow night? Maybe there's something you need me to teach you about Richards." He gave her a sexy, teasing smile, his eyebrows wiggling. "Like how to get into his bed."

She blushed, tilting her chin downward, and then smiled up at him with mischievous eyes. She was biting on her bottom lip, but any fool could see she wanted to say, _Yes, show me._

And then she sunk the nail into the coffin. "Umm, actually..."

Derek had been joking. He really had been. He never thought in a million years...

His stomach hit the ground, and his head spun.

No way. No _fucking _way. There was no way in hell he would do that. He was not going to help Penelope jump into bed with that potbellied motherfuc—

"D, are you okay?" she asked. "You looked really pale. Are you feeling sick?"

"P, I said I'm fine. Leave it!" he snapped.

She looked at him, her eyes wide, astounded and hurt. Then she clamped her mouth together in a thin line and put her chin up in the air. "Okay. Sorry."

Derek's heart pounded hard in his chest. He was ruining everything, because he was thinking foolishly. He'd done this with her before, years ago, and he'd almost lost her. He had to knock it off, or he would lose her for real this time—and deservedly so.

"No, baby, it's not you." He tried to touch her, but she leaned away from him, pretending like she didn't see him. He sighed and dropped his arms. "See you tomorrow?"

She was fidgeting with a napkin. "I don't know, Derek. You've been distant, cranky, irritable." She looked back at him. "I don't want that."

Despite his own warnings, he saw red again. "Oh, now that you have Richards, you don't need me?"

She gasped and looked at him, and then her chin dropped in shock. "Derek…are you _jealous_?"

"Hell, no," he lied with a laugh. His brain was thinking a million miles an hour, nonstop, high speed, trying to get out of this without opening his heart to a shit load of heartache.

Grasping at straws, floundering and defensive, he said the unthinkable, even to himself.

"Would a man that was jealous help you get into his rival's bed?"

She stared at him, flushed a dull brick red, and then looked downward. "I'm…I'm sorry again. I shouldn't have said that you were jealous. That was terrible. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he said, knowing if he were a cartoon character, he'd look like a donkey right now. He sighed and pulled her into his arms, holding her because he didn't trust himself to say anything more. Finally, he kissed the top of her head, like he had so many times before, and then left without another word.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_AN: Thanks so much for the reviews. This is a long chapter, I hope you really like it!_

Derek was at Yuri Alexander's bar, just outside of Quantico, working his way through a big bottle of delicious Russian potato vodka. Never in his life had he ever needed to lose his head in a bottle as badly as he did tonight. God, he was a fool. What had he been thinking, promising to help Garcia get into _Gavin Shmavin's _bed?

All in the name of friendship? He snorted to himself and took a slug. Even he knew he couldn't chalk it up to that. He didn't want to see her hurt, hadn't wanted to see that look in her eyes, but deep down...he wanted this.

He wanted to see that look in her eyes, that passion he'd never forget, even if it wasn't for him. He wanted her badly—sick, masochistic bastard that he was. Half the time he was around her, he already had a hard on he could drive nails with and had to fight to keep his hands off of her. He thought he might as well go for the gusto and make his suffering complete.

And now, he was going to _teach_ her how to seduce another man to get into that man's bed. He said that word loosely... _teach_. That in itself was the crux of the matter, the punchline to this horribly unfunny joke: She didn't need to learn a fucking thing to turn him on.

He wondered where Reid was. If he didn't hurry his ass up, the bottle would be gone, and it would be a tough bounce for the kid. Not that he really cared. To prove that, he slammed the rest of his glass down, enjoying the heat down his throat, the aching burn near his heart. He refilled his glass, pouring another three fingers full in defiance. His gut was starting to rot. He hadn't eaten his lunch, he'd skipped supper, so now, it was protesting the cruel treatment.

"Did you save some for me?"

Derek turned to see Hotch standing there. His boss removed his long trench coat and scarf, and then put them neatly on the bar stool next to Derek.

Derek shook his head. Fucking Reid. He didn't want to talk, and Hotch only came out when he had something to say. He should've guessed Reid was up to something when he was that late. He was always prompt.

He'd called Reid in one hell of a mood. He'd left Penelope at lunch, pissed off Deanna by saying he didn't want her to come over, and then called Reid to meet him for a few rounds—and to take his drunk ass home when they finished.

_"Ah, Morgan?" Reid asked, blatant concern in his voice. "Are you okay?"_

_"Jesus! What is it with people __today__?" he snapped. "I'm fine, damn it. It's nothing you can fix."_

_"Girl troubles?"_

_Derek had to give it to the kid; he was brave. He laughed bitterly. "Yeah."_

_"Um, okay," Reid replied coolly; too coolly, after Derek thought about it. "I'll be there soon."_

Now, here stood Hotch, a stoic expression on his face. That wasn't anything different; Hotch always looked stoic.

"Hotch, man," he began, attempting to scowl, feeling his head spin just a bit. "I'm _really_ not in the mood to chat."

"I can see that," Hotch said with a wry grin. He looked away, put two fingers in his mouth, and whistled sharply. "Bartender! A glass, please."

Dmitri—Derek was on first name basis with the barkeep this afternoon—put a glass in front of his boss.

"Here you go," he said in his thick Russian accent.

"_Spasiba_," Hotch replied, earning a big grin from the bulky Russian.

Derek watched as Hotch took his bottle and poured a generous portion for himself, before taking a drink. Derek hoped he didn't take too much; he needed that vodka. It was mother's milk to him tonight.

Hotch raised the glass to the light, peering at the clarity of the crystal clear beverage. "This is quite good."

Derek gave a noncommittal grunt.

The two sat there, saying nothing, drinking the vodka. That suited Derek fine; he sure as hell didn't want to talk.

Hotch didn't seem to want to talk, either. He simply sat, sipping at the vodka, as if he were savoring the sharp brew.

Two more glasses down, and Derek was past downright drunk. His head was swimming, and he felt like his stool was swaying. He looked up to stabilize himself. There was a large mirror behind the bar; he could see Hotch's flat expression, not judging or pressing. He was obviously waiting for Derek to talk, but was smart enough to bide his time. It was driving Derek nuts.

Finally, Derek turned in a huff. "What?"

Hotch arched a brow. "I should be the one asking you that, don't you think?"

"No!" Derek snapped defensively, pointing at Hotch. "I'm perf..."—he paused to burp into his fist—"perfectly fine, _Agent_ Hotchner."

Hotch shrugged. "Okay."

Five seconds later, Derek grumbled, unable to stop himself from talking. "What doesh she see in 'im, Hotch? He's shaped like the freakin' Pillshbury doughboy!"

Hotch took only a second to think, before he began to smile. "Ah, Gavin Richards."

"_Seee_!" Derek hooted, laughing triumphantly. "I didn' even need to say 'is name, and you knew who I was talkin' 'bout!"

Hotch was hiding a grin, but Derek was far too drunk to notice it. "I saw Gavin's pre-employment screen. He's got ten percent body fat."

"All in his ass!" Derek crowed, and then pointed at his sculpted gut with a drunken grin. "See? Six percent here."

Hotch shook his head with a chuckle.

The triumph Derek was feeling didn't last long; a second later, he began to frown again. "Hotch?"

"What, Morgan?"

"You'd think she'd ap-presh..ap-presh..."

"Appreciate?" Hotch added helpfully.

"Yeah!" Derek said with a thankful smile. "Ap-presh-ate that difference." He stopped smiling again, shaking his head sadly. "But she doesn'."

Hotch let out a long-suffering sigh. "Morgan...have you told Penelope how you feel?"

Derek looked disgustedly at Hotch, as if he were ridiculous for even suggesting such a thing, and then tried to take another sip. He knocked his cup over, instead. "Shhhhit."

Hotch grabbed some bar napkins and caught the mess on the counter before it toppled onto the floor. "Derek, answer the question."

Derek looked at him, having to really think of what question Hotch had meant, and then answered, "No. No, sir, I have not."

"Why?"

He snorted. "Good queshtion. I don' really know."

"I don't buy that," Hotch said, more to himself than Derek. He paused, like he was thinking, and then he said, "I think I have a better question, Morgan."

Derek looked up at him. "Whazzat?"

Hotch stood and pulled his jacket on, and then helped Derek stand. After helping Derek don and zip his coat, Hotch held his shoulders, much like he would if he were telling something important to Jack.

"Derek, have you told _yourself_ how you feel?"

Derek's face crumpled up in confusion. "What?"

"Think about that," Hotch said, tossing down a fifty on the bar.

"Thanks, man."

"Don't puke in my car."

Derek tried to laugh, but he couldn't. He simply felt too damned sad.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in a bar across town, Penelope Garcia was crying. She was fortunate enough to be flanked by her two dearest girlfriends, Emily and JJ.<p>

Her best friend was definitely not wanted there...as he was the reason for her tears in the first place.

"Men are shits," Emily said, taking a sip of her daiquiri.

"Yes, they can be," JJ agreed, nodding sympathetically.

"No," Pen said, blowing her nose in her cocktail napkin. "He's not normally. He's good and kind, and he always supports me. But now...I think he _hates_ me!"

She started to cry again, which caused JJ and Em to produce more napkins immediately.

"That can't be true," JJ said. "Everyone knows Morgan loves you."

"But...but...he won't even talk to me now!" she wailed.

"Okay," Emily said pragmatically, cutting through the tears. "From the top. What the hell happened?"

She sniffed. "From lunch today?"

"No, start at the beginning," JJ said. "You said that Morgan gave you advice on how to get Gavin to ask you out?"

Pen nodded. "Yep. I was kind of insecure, because of what had happened last time I went out with a nice looking guy. You know...Battle, and—"

Emily shuddered, interrupting her. "Don't go there, Garcie. You deserve better than that."

"Well, I was feeling insecure," she answered honestly. "Not anymore. Derek was really sweet. He insisted on showing me some tricks to get Gavin to notice. It was really good advice; it all worked like a charm. Each thing he said, he was right." She took a sip of her drink and continued, "Men are really alike."

"Simple creatures," JJ added.

All three women nodded, and then paused to take a drink.

"You know...that surprises me," Emily said, stroking her chin in thought.

"That men are simple?" Pen asked incredulously. "You have to be kidding!"

She laughed. "Oh, hell, no; everyone knows that! I'm just surprised that Morgan would help you get another man."

Penelope scowled. "Why?"

Emily gave _her_ the incredulous look now. "Ahhh, could it be because he hated Kevin for no reason, other than he was with you?"

"Emily," Pen scoffed, shaking her head. "Derek didn't _hate_ Kevin."

Both women stared at her like she'd grown two heads.

"He did not," Penelope argued, starting to not believe her own words, feeling that kernel of hope she'd filed away years ago growing in her chest.

JJ looked at her with exasperation. "Yes, he did! Garcie, you didn't notice?"

"Well, they never really liked each other," she said, thinking about all the times Derek had been around Kevin, "but I thought—"

"PG, Derek never called Kevin by his first name. Did you notice that?" Emily arched a brow at her.

"Well, yes, but—"

"He'd roll his eyes when you'd mention Kevin?" Emily grinned at her. "Kevin was no winner, but he wasn't always awful."

P nodded. "Kevin had good moments."

"Yet Derek always told you often you could do better, flirted mercilessly with you—and only you—and had a hard time being around the two of you together." Like a good lawyer, Emily summarized her thoughts. "That tells any logical person he didn't like him because he wanted you for himself."

"Here, here," JJ added, raising her cup.

Penelope's heart was beating so quickly and erratically. She'd stopped dreaming that fairy tale years ago, but deep down, she—

"Yep," Em said, leaning back to take a sip of her drink. "He was jealous...just like he's jealous of Gavin."

And just as suddenly, the inflated hope she had in her chest popped like a sad balloon. Sure, she'd always wanted Derek, but she knew she wasn't his type. This afternoon had proved that crystal to her.

"You're wrong," Penelope said flatly, coldly.

"No, _you're_ wrong," Emily said bluntly, pointing her cocktail umbrella at Penelope.

Her lips pinched, wishing and praying they'd let it go. "No...I'm not."

JJ nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, you are."

"Okay, if he wants me so badly, then why did he offer to help me get into Gavin's bed, hmm?" she spat, her heart aching as the nail of truth split it.

"He did _what_?" JJ asked, incredulously.

She sat there, very stoically. "You heard me."

Emily threw the umbrella on the table. "That chicken ass fuck! Instead of manning up for once and saying he wants you, he does that crap. What an idiot!"

Penelope shook her head.

JJ held her hand and said softly, "I still think Emily's right, Garcie. But it's your life, your decision."

Penelope let it sink in, let herself come to grips with what they were saying. She really wanted to believe them. She wanted to give herself and Derek a chance, but he'd vehemently denied that he was jealous.

And then she thought: Maybe too vehemently?

"What should I do?" she whispered, absolutely frightened, but determined. Someone had to be brave in their relationship; it might as well be her!

Prentiss smiled and clapped her on the back. "You go, girl!"

All three women sat together in a huddle, thinking. They'd done this a million times before with each other—fed off each other's energy. The "power of three," Pen called it.

Suddenly, Prentiss sat up even straighter. "I got it!" She grinned at Penelope. "You said he's going to teach you how to get into Gavin's bed?"

Pen frowned. "Yes, but I don't _want_ to be in Gavin's bed anymore."

Emily waved her hand dismissively. "That's besides the point. See...You go there, PG... You go...and you listen,"—she lowered her lashes at Penelope before continuing—"and you follow his _advice—_"

"Ohhhhh!" JJ giggled. "I get it."

Pen smiled, the first genuine smile she'd had of the night. "I definitely get it...and I'm going to get him, too." She raised her glass. "Cheers, ladies. To friendship."

Emily and JJ raised their glasses. "To friendship!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_AN: Thank you so much for the reviews. I am a bit late posting; I had my daughter's first communion yesterday (It was awesome!), so I didn't get a chance to post. Sorry about the wait...So, here we go...On with the story!..._

With all the courage she had inside her, she stood outside Derek Morgan's door and raised her hand to knock. Tonight would be a big night for her—the biggest in her life to date—if all went well. Tonight, she was going to employ everything Derek had taught her, the best she could possibly do it. Tonight was the game changer.

Tonight, she was going to seduce Derek Morgan.

He opened the door with a smile, a dishtowel thrown over his shoulder. "Hey, sugar. I was just doing up some dishes." He gave her a wry grin. "I didn't feel much like washing them when I got home last night."

"Oh," she said, walking in past him. "What were you up to?"

He shrugged noncommittally. "Nothing much. Went with Hotch for some drinks."

She smiled and took off her jacket, watching carefully for his reaction. She was wearing a dark burgundy sweater dress with a deep cut neckline that showed a hint of cleavage. It was soft and beautiful, and made her feel sexy just wearing it.

"Pretty dress. Is it new?"

Penelope felt a little deflated. He was simply smiling at her, no different than his usual response. She'd been hoping she'd see something different, something that would bolster her courage, but he didn't give it to her. God, she hoped she—Emily and JJ, too—wasn't wrong.

Last night, she'd decided to put all of her effort into being where she felt she truly belonged: with Derek, in his arms, in his bed, and in his heart. She'd realized she cared far more about Derek being angry than she was about any response she was getting from Gavin.

That was nothing new; it had always been like that for her. She'd run to Derek when she had problems, never to Kevin or anyone else she'd dated. She shared her fears with him, and he'd helped her and held her. No one could console her like Derek did.

Not only that, she shared her dreams with Derek, and he let her believe just about anything was possible. She knew he'd move heaven and earth to help her accomplish those dreams. Derek's opinion mattered more to her than anyone else's. He was that important to her.

But now, she worried that it was her own wishful thinking. She was in love with him. _She_ felt that way, but maybe _he_ didn't. Was she seeing things that she wished, instead of what was reality?

She shook that feeling off. She didn't have time to second guess or doubt herself. It was now or never. She'd come here to seduce Derek, and she wasn't going to leave until she'd done it.

"Oh, it's uber soft," she said, a hint of a smile on her lips. "Wanna feel?" She held her arm out to him.

"Oh, hell, no." Derek pulled her into his arms, enveloping her in a tight hug, and let his hands run over her back. "_This_ is the proper way to feel that dress."

She smiled coyly and looked up at him through her lashes. "I have to agree."

She thought she saw something, a flash of surprise, but then he released her rather abruptly. She cringed internally; she'd broken one of Derek's basic seduction rules: too much, too soon. She'd have to be more cautious with the rest of her plans tonight!

"Have a seat," he said, gesturing to the couch. "Coffee's brewing. Want a cup?"

She slipped off her heels, slowly revealing a long flash of her legs. She knew he was watching; she could feel his eyes. She stood back up, glancing at him with just a hint of a smile on her lips, and started walking over to the sofa. "I'll take a glass of red wine, if you have it?"

"Of course I do," he said with a hoarse voice, and then coughed a little. He turned and left the room. Derek kept a bottle of her favorite red at his house at all times, just like she had his brand of beer in her fridge. It was their unspoken rule.

It was a pleasing sight when he came out of the kitchen, holding two glasses and a bottle of wine. He set the glasses down, and then pulled the cork on the bottle.

He arched a brow at her. "Think it matters if it doesn't breathe?"

"Probably," she answered thoughtfully, and then added with a wicked grin, "but I'd still like a glass."

She held her goblet, watching as the dark ruby liquid filled the glass. It was highlighted by the warmth and brightness of the fire. The crackling logs were the only sounds in the room for a long time. The warmth of the fire, along with the earthy spice of the wine, was lulling her into relaxation.

She was watching the fire, the orange, red, yellow, bluish colors licking at the logs, and was feeling rather hypnotized by it, when Derek's somewhat sharp tone broke her out of her repose.

"I'm teaching you how to seduce Richards into your bed."

When she turned to look at him, he was already staring at her. He looked like he'd been watching her for a long while. He'd snapped that sentence at her; she hoped he wasn't offended that she was so relaxed and sleepy.

Self-consciously, she brushed a long tendril of blonde hair off her cheek and tucked it behind her ear, took another sip of wine, and said, "Yes, that's right."

"So, how do you two get started?" Derek asked, his tone bland, but non-offensive. "Does he take you out to dinner?"

"Yeah."

"He takes you out for dinner—and your favorite pinot, of course—and you're feeling all good and mellow." He smiled at her, slow and seductive, pulling her under his hypnotic spell, so much stronger than the fire. "All the way home, he's telling you how gorgeous you look, how he'd like to touch what you got goin' on under that angel soft fabric. You're knowing tonight's the night…your body and your mind are humming, primed for more…"

He paused to take a sip of his wine, and she watched as the firelight danced in his dark eyes, his long lashes blocking just enough of his thoughts to entice her. The more he spoke, the closer he leaned to her, drawing her into his web.

She wanted to hear him tell her more of this story, knowing the whole time Gavin would never make her feel like that. Only one man could do that to her.

He sat up straighter, after another sip of wine, and said, "Okay, you get to the house. What does he do next? Start a fire?"

"Well, we usually watch a fire," she said with slightly wistful look at his fireplace. "It's a DVD of a crackling fire, but it's still nice."

Derek gave her a quirky grin. "Ol' Richards doesn't have a fireplace, huh?"

"Nope, he doesn't," she answered with a shrug, smiling internally at the smug look of superiority on D's face. She thought that was a good sign, that he was one upping Gavin, even if it was in his subconscious thinking.

"What's next?"

"We sit on the couch, like this," she said, moving a touch closer to Derek, "and then he puts his arm around me."

Sliding his arm around her shoulders, he asked, "What do you do next?"

She'd thought the fire was warm, but Derek's body heat pressed against her side was far warmer. He was toasty; she wanted to crawl into his lap and let him hold her.

"I move closer," she said.

"Then do it," he commanded, reaching for her. "We have to do it to get you ready for this. Come on...closer than that...a bit…that's good. Perfect."

She was pressed tightly against him, hip to hip, thigh to thigh, her breast touching his ribcage. He was looking intently at her, waiting for her next move.

"I usually touch him," she said, feeling flustered and hot, being so close to him.

"Touch me," he murmured, still looking at her with those dark, unreadable eyes.

Despite her own plan to seduce him, her heartbeat accelerated at the taboo command. She'd always wanted to touch him like that, to stroke his muscles and feel him like a lover would, but he'd always been so out of reach. Like _Don Quixote_, it had been an impossible goal.

Raising her hand, she laid it gently on the center of his chest, on the firm, sculpted muscles there under the fabric of his Henley shirt. She could feel the radiating heat, the strength, and the steady beat of his heart. Hers was thumping uncontrollably, no where near the same regular cadence of his.

She could feel the rumble of his deep voice against her fingertips as he began to speak again.

"That's nice, but if you were seducing me, I wouldn't want you to touch me there. Here, baby," he said, lifting her wrist with his hand. He placed it on the equally hard muscle of his thigh. "There's where your hand should go."

She stared down at her hand on his leg, so pale and small next to the dark fabric of his jeans. The warmth and heat radiating off of his leg nearly burned her. It was intense; she drew in a quick breath and brought her surprised eyes up to meet his.

He locked his gaze with hers, kept his hand on top of hers. He began movements, making her stroke him up and down the length of the muscle. "Like that…show him you want him…"

_Want him_? She was on fire for him!

Penelope's breath caught in her throat, along with her heart. Her body's response seemed to be on overdrive. She felt hot, wet, dizzy, and she wanted to continue to touch him all night long. When he lifted his hand, she continued to stroke him, the warm granite of his thigh, watching her hand move toward his hips.

She looked up at him and licked her suddenly dry lips. She whispered, "Like this?"

"Hell, yes," he murmured back, his voice a shade rougher than normal. She felt the muscle stiffen as he sat up straighter. "Then what do you do? Kiss him?"

"What?" she asked, unable to form a thought.

"You should kiss him. His ear, his neck…everywhere but his lips." He looked at her, his darkened eyes teasing her, as he said, "Save the best for last."

It was then she realized she needed to take control. She'd been doing everything the way he expected it; now she had to throw him off his game to turn this around.

"Lean over here and kiss me," he said in an impatient flirting manner.

Screwing up as much courage as she could, she leaned closer to him stretched upward. She licked her lips slowly, and lowered her mouth. She saw him tense, saw the muscles in his neck move, as he suddenly swallowed in anticipation.

Just before she pressed her lips down, she drew back and shook her head. "No."

He arched a brow at her. "No?"

"Here is what I would do," she said, letting her voice trail off as she rose to her knees. Scootching her dress up over her knees, she raised her leg and straddled his hips with her thighs.

He gave her a surprised look. "Sweetheart—"

"I'd do it like this, for better range of motion," she interrupted, saying reasonably. She leaned up against his body and pressed her lips to the underside of his jaw, his temple, and just below his earlobe. Her voice was husky as she breathed, "Think he'd like that?"

He didn't answer—just nodded his head in agreement. His eyes were closed, his head leaned back against the sofa, and his nostrils flared slightly.

She went on kissing the strong column of his neck, the whiskers from his five o'clock shadow gently abrading her lips. She kissed his earlobe, fighting nibbling the irresistible, delicious-smelling flesh.

And then she felt his hands, sliding up her thighs, coming around to cup her ass. He squeezed, tugging her closer, until her hips made contact with his. She could feel the swell of his prominent bulge pressing between her legs.

She had a shiver of delight ripple through her and let out a soft moan, but continued her gentle exploration. She was so close to her goal; she couldn't be waylaid now.

God, he felt so good! Lost in the titillating sensations, she rocked her hips, his hardness pressing up against her softness in an erotic melding. She was unrelenting in her kisses, kissing his beard, darting her tongue out to touch the cleft in his chin. He was so delicious, so—

He opened his lashes and stared at her with his dark, sizzling, obsidian-colored eyes. She watched as he fought for control, the fire raging in his blood evident in every movement he made. His look was one of barely restrained passion, and she felt such joy, knowing she'd brought him there.

For a long moment, they locked gazes. She couldn't move; she was barely breathing. She was certain this was the moment, the one moment she'd been waiting forever for with him. Derek was going to kiss her and claim her as his own.

But he didn't.

"That's enough," he said gruffly, his hands on her arms, stalling her movements. "You did great. I'm sure if you do that with the man you are truly interested in, there is no way he'd turn you down. Good job."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_AN: Thank you so much for the reviews. I am posting now so I can watch the show (*squee!* I always get excited for the show!). Going to be answering them asap..._

After what he'd just said—and after one look at Penelope's face—Derek knew three things:

A. He was dead wrong in what he'd thought last night in Yuri Alexander's bar.

B. He was a fucking fool.

C. He needed to fix this immediately and stop _being_ such a fucking fool.

That was actually four things, but he really didn't give a damn; he just needed to react, and quickly, before the best thing that had ever happened to him left his side for good.

Last night, after he'd been embarrassingly helped up the stairs of his house by Hotch—with a grimace to himself, Derek realized he owed Hotch a good detailing of his car—he'd made it to the bathroom and tossed his cookies for the second time. Then he'd cursed the _komrades _who made potato Vodka and dry heaved a few more times.

He'd slunk like a snake, on his belly, to his bed and slithered up onto his mattress. He'd closed his eyes, his heart and his stomach empty.

And immediately couldn't sleep.

"Have you told Penelope how you feel?" Hotch had asked.

Derek had lied about that to Hotch when he'd answered the question. He _had_ told Penelope, years ago, like a lovesick swain. First time he'd ever said those words to a woman unrelated to him. He'd opened his heart and said, "I love you. You know that, right?"

"I love you, too," she'd replied, her heart in her eyes, and Derek had felt in his heart, he was ready to settle down and start making all his dreams come true. If any woman knew him, Penelope did, and she loved him, too. That high had lasted for a few days.

Because a few days later, he'd learned she'd hooked up with a frumpy nerd with bad hair.

He hadn't held much in store about ever getting Penelope after that. He'd told her how he felt, and she'd run like hell. He'd been jealous of Lynch, jealous of the new guy, and it didn't make a shit of difference. He had no claim. She wasn't his.

So he'd woken up this morning, called Deanna to dump her unwanted butt, because stringing her along was damned cruel, and determined he would be alone forever. To top things off, masochist that he was, he called Penelope, the woman he'd always loved and always would love. He called her to help her get the man she really wanted. He'd martyr himself for their friendship; he felt like he owed it to her.

Now, looking at Penelope, he could read her like a book. That flirting tonight wasn't for Gavin. She was putting her heart on the line for him, testing the waters and scared to hurt their friendship, too. He could see it plain as day. She'd never had that good of a good poker face, which made him want to kick himself even more.

Maybe he hadn't been reading her right for years?

"I...I gotta go," she said, scrambling off of his lap. She took off at a sprint towards his door.

"P, wait!" he called, standing quickly.

She was already hastily shrugging her jacket on.

Placing one hand on the back of his couch, he vaulted over and caught her by the belt of her jacket. "Baby, please wait."

"Let me go!" she said, tugging at her jacket.

"Baby...I'm sorry...baby...please," he said, trying to pull her into his arms.

"Don't...touch me!" She wiggled out from underneath his arms, slippery little thing that she was.

"Baby, come on," he pleaded. "I'm an ass, but please, give me—"

"You _are_ an ass!" she snapped. "A blind damned ass!"

"I am," he admitted, still trying to hold her.

She scowled at him. "How could you think I was trying to get another man doing that stuff with you? I would draw the line at all that, Derek—the touching and grinding. There _are_ limits to friendship."

"I know..."

"I couldn't...I shouldn't have..." She sighed, shaking her head. "I was trying to see if you wanted me. More fool me..."

"I know that, now, too," he replied gently.

"Well, I don't want your pity!" she huffed.

That took him back. "Pity? What do you mean, pity?"

"You don't have to feel sorry for me, keeping me here when you really don't _want_ me here," she ground out. The anger in her eyes flashed, but behind that anger was a whole lotta hurt.

"Sweetheart, I do want you here." He reached for her wrist to keep her from turning away from him.

She scoffed and made a face. "I know you like having me here, D, but right now—"

"Sugar, there's no doubting," he interrupted, still holding her wrist, not letting her go. "And there's no _liking_, either. I love you."

"Hah!" she snipped back, putting her chin in the air. "You loved me so much, you were ready to send me into the bed of another man!"

"If it made you happy, then yes." He reached gently for her face, turned her chin to make her look at him. "I'd done that once before; I was afraid I'd have to do it again."

"Again?"

He smiled softly at her, the love he felt for her shining in his eyes. "P, I'd do anything for you—even cut off my right arm—to make you happy."

She stared at him, starting to soften, but then she jerked her chin away from his hand. "I don't buy that. If you really wanted me, felt desire for me, you would've fought for me. I think you don't want me, at least not the way _I_ want you, so you happily let me go."

"Okay, _now_ who's being an idiot?" he snapped. He gave her a rough tug so that she fell into him, and secured one arm around her waist. She struggled against him, but it was in vain; she could barely move.

Derek took her other hand that he still held captive by the wrist and lowered it down between their bodies. He placed her hand on the bulge between his legs.

Penelope's eyes widened, and she gasped, trying to tug her hand away, but he wouldn't let her. Instead, he ran her hand up and down the length of his erection, staring deeply into her eyes.

"I have been like this since the minute you came in the door tonight, in that soft dress of yours, showing me every curve I've always dreamed of being mine," he growled, as he felt those curves pressed against him. "It was torture, damn you, being touched, caressed, kissed by you...and knowing you weren't mine."

"Why—" She paused to lick her lips. "Why did you do it, then?"

"Because you mean the world to me," he murmured, his voice so husky, he barely recognized it. "Your happiness means far more to me than my own. I'd go through hell for you, Penelope. Because a life without you isn't in question for me."

He watched as her eyes filled with tears and her chin quivered with emotion. "Oh, Derek..."

He released her hand and reached both hands up to cup her face. "I need you, Penelope. More than I need air to breathe. I need _you_. Don't ever doubt that."

She shook her head. "I don't...I won't."

He smiled, finally feeling like he may actually _have_ a reason to smile. He lowered his hands to hold her arms. "And I love you, with all my heart. I'd worship you with everything I have, if you'd let me."

She grinned back at him. "That would be blasphemous."

"Tough," he answered, teasing back a little. "I think I am seriously overdue for doing some much needed and wanted worshiping."

"Well, if you say it that way..." she replied, letting the words trail off. She looked at him, plopped her hand in the middle of his chest with a seductive half smile, batted her eyelashes, and overtly licked her lips in a gesture Mae West would be proud of...

Then she winked. "Did I do it right?"

Derek laughed. She'd done everything against what he'd taught her, proving she was a lousy pupil...

And he couldn't be happier.

His smile was huge as he pulled her into his arms. "Works for me," he said, before lowering his head to kiss her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_AN:Thank you for the reviews...Now we're cooking...This was originally two chapters, but I combined it, so it is really long...I have to work the weekend, so I couldn't post, and I hate to keep ya'll waiting...Hey, it went together like Morgan and Garcia; I had to do it...Any ideas for the epilogue? Let me know..._

Penelope thought she'd been prepared. She was stable, grounded, completely aware. She thought she'd readied herself for what it would be like when she finally kissed Derek Morgan.

She'd thought completely wrong.

The moment his lips touched hers, heat whooshed through her body, like the backdraft from a fire. His mouth was demanding, capturing hers with a delicious onslaught of feeling that she had absolutely no desire to fight whatsoever. He was consuming her, and she was offering herself up like a morsel ready to be had.

Derek thrust his fingers in her artfully-styled hair; the small barrettes and the little flowers she had laced in there this morning went flying, as she wrapped her arms around his waist and clung to him like he was her lifeline. That wasn't far from the truth; she was adrift in a sea of molten feeling, with nothing but his strong body and the velvety rasp of his tongue grounding her.

Her eyes drifted shut, her limbs felt heavy, listless, as he drugged her with his fantastic kisses. She always thought he smelled gorgeous, looked gorgeous, even sounded gorgeous, but that was nothing compared to how gorgeous he tasted. Like sweet, silky man, with just a touch of red wine to flavor him.

He lifted his mouth from hers, and she moaned in protest. Raising herself onto her toes, she pressed her lips against his and whispered, "More."

He smiled down at her, a slow, seductive smile, and murmured, "Damned good idea."

Then he dove into the kiss from the direct opposite angle.

Never in his life had he ever kissed anyone as delicious as Penelope Garcia. He'd called her Red Delicious, but he hadn't done her justice. He thrust his tongue deep in her mouth as he clutched her back with his hands. He opened his thighs, drawing her deeper in the vee between. His hips thrust involuntarily against hers, to ease some of the ache in his rock hard cock.

Derek groaned internally. A small corner of his mind was telling him to heed his own advice, to seduce her and play with her mouth, tease her, give her the fairy tale kiss Cinderella got from her Prince Charming. He was a skilled lover; he should be able to do that without fail.

Instead, he marauded her mouth like a Blackbeard after treasure, making up for what he was lacking in grace with pure ardor and passion. As he felt her shake, as he heard her moan, he knew he needed to back this up and start over...and do this right.

"Baby," he murmured against her lips. "Sweetheart..."

"No," she said, clutching the back of his head rather desperately in her hands. "Don't stop. Please..."

"Oh, hell, no," he said, working his hands under her coat. He slid it off and left it in a pile at her feet, as he scooped her up in his arms. "I have no intention of stopping."

"But..." she started, her voice trailing off as he carried her towards the couch.

"Sugar, we are just getting started," he murmured, as he lay her down on the rug before the fire.

They made love.

**For More of this chapter, please see my profile!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10- The Epilogue**

_AN: We've reached the end! Thanks to everyone who read this story. I really appreciate the reviews, alerts, and favorites that show up in my inbox. Makes my day! _

_AN2:This is dedicated to Rachel, aka Onetreefan, who made the suggestion for this as the epilogue. Hope I did you proud! Love, Kricket_

* * *

><p>News didn't fly as fast around the tech sector as Penelope had thought.<p>

Two months ago, she'd met with Gavin, explained that there was someone else in her life, and then went on that wonderfully fateful lesson in seducing that brought her and her Hot Stuff together once and for all.

Gavin had taken the news well—almost too well, actually. It was like he'd known before she'd said a word, they weren't meant to be. He'd also guessed that it was Derek Morgan she was interested in.

"_How did you know?" she asked, surprised._

_Gavin smiled back at her and said, "Because just about every other sentence you say is _Derek and me_."_

"_I'm sorry," she said, and she meant it; Gavin was a very nice man._

"_I understand," he said. "You have to try."_

She'd given Gavin a big hug, and then headed off to Derek's house to seduce him with everything she'd learned, and everything in her heart and soul.

Now, it was the first time she'd seen Gavin since that moment. She was standing in the commissary line, getting a processed veggie burger and some flat French fries for herself, when she looked up and saw him.

"Gavin," she said, kind of surprised. She didn't know why it shocked her; it was bound to happen one of these days, although the FBI employed a ton of people.

"Hi, Penelope," he said with a smile. "You look wonderful."

"Thanks." He was still staring, so not knowing what else to say, she added, "You look nice, too."

"Thank you," he said, with even more of a smile.

He was staring at her rather oddly, like he'd done before they'd dated. It made her uncomfortable.

She turned back to the condiment counter and opened her burger, adding lettuce, tomato, onion (Just a little—she liked to stay kissable!), and a pickle. All she had left to get was the mayo on the back shelf.

"Oh, here," Gavin said, putting his tray down. "Let me get that for you.."

She was reaching for the mayo. At the same time, Gavin reached, too, and her hand brushed against Gavin's.

He quickly grasped her hand, held it, and met her eyes. Then slowly, he smiled at her, a seductive grin he'd never given her before.

That look didn't quite work the way she knew he'd wanted it to work. Instead of turning her on, it made her stomach turn.

"Um...Gavin?" she said, tugging her hand away and turning to face him. "See Agent Morgan, sitting over there in that corner?"

Derek was scowling a thunderous glare at Gavin.

Gavin looked over and blanched, and then began babbling, "Oh, I'm sorry...I didn't realize...I'd heard...someone in the tech sector had said..." He blushed an uncomfortable shade of red.

"What did they say?" she asked.

"There was news that you two were just friends, and it wouldn't work, and well...now, you were finished," he said.

She shook her head and smiled at him, and then held up her left hand with the glittering rock on it. "Actually, we're just getting started."

"Oh...um...congratulations," he said, and then made a quick exit.

Penelope took her tray and sat next to her fiance, giving him a quick kiss. "Hi, lover. Sorry I'm late."

"Hi, baby," he said, looping his arm around her. "Veggie burger?"

"Mmm hmm," she said, taking a big bite. "Typical gourmand cafeteria food."

"Richards flirting with you?"

She'd known that was coming. "Yes, dear. However, I set him in his place."

Derek grinned, and then took a bite of his burger, before saying, "I'm glad you did. His execution was all wrong. Big teeth, overly soulful eyes, grabbing a girl's hand like it's a dinner roll." He shook his head sadly, and took another bite.

"He should take lessons from you," she teased.

"Oh, no," he murmured. "No helping my competition."

She put her burger down, and then wrapped her arms around his neck. "Baby Boy, when it comes to you, there is no competition..."


End file.
